Real Richmond Wedding: Stacy and Shawn at Historic Mankin Mansion

Stacy and Shawn
November 11, 2017

How They Met
Shawn and Stacy have known each other since middle school. Shawn was a grade ahead of Stacy and just like Britney and Justin in their denim days, had the biggest, sweetest crush on Stacy. In fact, during those middle school days, Shawn asked Stacy to be his girlfriend. It ended up ending, as most middle school relationships do, but the two remained friends and even ended up going to Thomas Dale’s senior prom in the same group of friends. Stacy exclaims, “Had I only known my husband was in that limo with me in 2005!”

They re-connected and went on a few dinner dates before Stacy realized Shawn was really interested. He finally asked her on an official date to Wild Ginger. “He picked me up and opened the door, and let me  order the most expensive thing on the menu without saying a word because that’s just how I roll!” They ended up having an amazing time and restarted their middle school relationship, this time for real.

The Proposal
Shawn asked Stacy to be his wife during their two-year anniversary trip to Charlottesville, VA. They were winery-hopping, and finally landed at King Family Vineyard where they split a bottle of wine. The patio was busy that day, so they found themselves sitting in the shade under a tree, just enjoying each other’s company and conversation. “I vividly remember the view at that moment being absolutely perfect with the mountains in the background of a beautiful sunset.” Shawn excused himself and returned with a gentleman to take their picture with the beautiful mountains in the background. They walked for a while (as Shawn was trying to calm his nerves) and asked the gentleman to take their picture. He snapped a few, then on the last one Shawn knelt down and pulled a box out of his tall sock, asking Stacy to marry him. “In the midst of crying, laughing, shaking, and trying to deal with every emotion, I said yes!” What they didn’t know is that everyone on the patio saw the surprise proposal. The crowd erupted into cheers, making the moment that much more special.

The Details
“We picked Historic Mankin Mansion because of its beauty. The grounds are so perfectly kept and pretty without adding a single thing! And we really liked that we could have our ceremony and reception at one location.” They also loved that the venue included planners, the perfect one-stop-shop!

The two wanted their ceremony to be simple and romantic. “I picked the ashy purple to compliment the deep plum in the bouquets and hints of gold throughout the reception.” They wanted something clean, chic, simple, but effortlessly elegant. “It was the coldest day of the year, so we decided last minute to offer hot chocolate and apple cider as they entered the ceremony so that everyone would stay warm, it was such a nice touch!”

Their flowers had a sweet vintage/rustic feel with the on-trend greenery. “The altar was a special request that I had, and was dressed with willow branches and bundles of hydrangeas and ivy to give a more romantic feeling while we said our ‘I do’s.'”

The linens and tables, all from Classic Party Rentals, turned out to be even more beautiful than the two had imagined. They went with a soft champagne color for the linens, with simple white plates, subtly extravagant with a gold rim. Their sweetheart table was set with ivory, and conveniently located to their table/mound of Krispy Kreme Donuts, per Shawn’s request.

Their reception was unlike any other the two had been to. “Our guests were amazing and our dance floor was NEVER empty.” They felt like they were surrounded by all the love their friends and family could give.

Favorite Part of the Day
“My favorite part of the day was finally getting to see my future husband and father during our first looks. You spend so much time worrying how everything will turn out, and in the final moment,s before he turned around to see me, I felt like none of it mattered. The tent could have collapsed, or a storm could have blown through and it wouldn’t have mattered. ”

It was a special moment for Stacy and her father. She explains, “I almost lost my father the year before our wedding so I knew seeing him would be very emotional. I felt like his little girl, but also like I was genuinely being given away by someone who loves and cherishes me so much.”

Biggest Challenge
“Letting go. I was so anxious over every detail and how it would all look!”

Best Piece of Advice
“Don’t take any moment of the planning for granted, and don’t let it stress you out. Enjoy planning one of the biggest days of your life!”

The post Real Richmond Wedding: Stacy and Shawn at Historic Mankin Mansion appeared first on Richmond Weddings.